Click the picture to be directed to a really neat Advent Guide for 2011. It’s simple, creative, and directs the reader to celebrate hope, peace, joy and love!

We Gather Together

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;

He chastens and hastens his will to make known;

The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing, 
Sing praises to his name:

He forgets not his own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,

Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;


So from the beginning the fight we were winning;


Thou, Lord, wast at our side, All glory be thine!

We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,

And pray that thou still our defender wilt be.

Let thy congregation escape tribulation;

Thy name be ever praised!

O Lord, make us free! 
Amen

–Traditional Thanksgiving Hymn 
(A translation by Theodore Baker: 1851-1934)

In March, during my congregation’s annual church business meeting, those present (everyone who shows up) will be given a list of names of persons already ratified by the board as acceptable persons to replace out going board members.  This is very important work in the life of a local church.

One of the board selection committee members asked me, “What kind of person are you looking for to serve on the board?” It’s a great question and a great chance for me to review the vows of the calling to which I took when accepting the role as a leader in a congregation.

As a follower of Christ, some of my opinions are submitted to the Scriptures. In this case, a person serving on a church board (or any other church leadership position overseeing the care of God’s flock), in my opinion, should be follow the mandate of Scripture.

The Apostle Paul offers these words when selecting an “overseer” within the context of Christian leadership:

“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.

Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?

He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.

Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”

(1 Timothy 3:1-13 ESV)

Now, re-read each sentence and give it careful thought and attention for a few weeks, and imagine the implications.

One thing I would suggest being discussed is the importance of all the overseers of a congregation having relational community (hence the picture of Arthur’s Roundtable). Once a congregation exceeds more than about 150 members it seems they beging to compartmentalize. Undoubtedly, compartmentalization is useful for administrative purposes, but how can be efficient administratively but effective in terms of unity?

May the Lord give grace to all His servants and may we all reflect the people described by the Apostle Paul! It’s very high calling. And, may we develop in our ecclesiology an effective understanding and useful model to sustain relational unity.

A group of singers from Kyoto, Japan enjoyed a night backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. Before the show they had time to mill around and check out the stage. Charlie Daniels spent a little extra time with them in the dressing room and gave each of them a small gift.

The following is a second century description of a Christian described in a letter to Diognetus by an unknown writer:

The Christians in the World

“Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign.

And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives.

They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law. Christians love all men, but all men persecute them. Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death, but raised to life again. They live in poverty, but enrich many; they are totally destitute, but possess an abundance of everything. They suffer dishonor, but that is their glory. They are defamed, but vindicated. A blessing is their answer to abuse, deference their response to insult. For the good they do they receive the punishment of malefactors, but even then they, rejoice, as though receiving the gift of life. They are attacked by the Jews as aliens, they are persecuted by the Greeks, yet no one can explain the reason for this hatred.

To speak in general terms, we may say that the Christian is to the world what the soul is to the body. As the soul is present in every part of the body, while remaining distinct from it, so Christians are found in all the cities of the world, but cannot be identified with the world. As the visible body contains the invisible soul, so Christians are seen living in the world, but their religious life remains unseen. The body hates the soul and wars against it, not because of any injury the soul has done it, but because of the restriction the soul places on its pleasures. Similarly, the world hates the Christians, not because they have done it any wrong, but because they are opposed to its enjoyments.

Christians love those who hate them just as the soul loves the body and all its members despite the body’s hatred. It is by the soul, enclosed within the body, that the body is held together, and similarly, it is by the Christians, detained in the world as in a prison, that the world is held together. The soul, though immortal, has a mortal dwelling place; and Christians also live for a time amidst perishable things, while awaiting the freedom from change and decay that will be theirs in heaven. As the soul benefits from the deprivation of food and drink, so Christians flourish under persecution. Such is the Christian’s lofty and divinely appointed function, from which he is not permitted to excuse himself.”

“It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.” – James 3:6 (The Message)

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John Piper asserts in his book, Let the Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions that “worship is the fuel and goal of missions” (15) and describes the goal of the church:

“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.” (15)

The context of this book is “missions.” However, the content of the book is bookended with the concept of authentic worship, which is of utmost importance to all believers everywhere. This is important to note because the call of the believer is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. Or in the words of Piper, “His (God) goal is the gladness of his people, because God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” (255) So, therefore, this book is much more about seeing a blueprint of lifestyle worship as opposed to participating in a “worship service.”

The title of the book stems from songs of praise: “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!”^[1] And, “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.”^[2] In keeping with the “missions” theme Piper addresses what it takes to make God supreme in mission by filling the body of the book with three parts, which provide the framework for the body of this review:

Part 1: The Purpose, the Power, and the Price

Piper dedicates the first chapter of this book to explain his position based upon his study of theology and missiology that missions is the “second greatest activity in the world” (38) and that God is first and ultimate (38) in the life of the church. With our attention and worship being focused on him, we are witnesses to this truth and will proclaim with passion such as recorded in Psalms “For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols but the Lord made the heavens.”^[3] In the case of having passion, he says that our goal should be to bring glory to God so that the church will “spread his glory” which is “more important than all their (people of God) possessions and their plans.” (61)

The power to execute the mission of the King comes from the king. Prayer is the tool or “wartime walkie talkie” (65) by which we “the significance of the frontline forces and gives God the glory of a limitless Provider. The one who gives the power gets the glory.” (65) If a person doesn’t understand the true nature of the war against the flesh, the world, and the devil, he is not likely to engage in prayer. “We are on this earth to press back the forces of darkness, and we are given access to headquarters by prayer to advance this cause.” (71) After the author gives examples of people who sought God (both Biblical and contemporaries) he makes a powerful statement about the purpose of prayer: “is to make clear to all the participants in this war that the victory belongs to the Lord.” (78) Why is this the purpose of prayer? The answer is found in Psalm 50:15 (italics added for emphasis) “call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”^[4]

The price of executing the mission of the King is suffering. Space doesn’t permit to expound on Piper’s offering of a Biblical view of suffering. However, through scripture he unfolds the understanding that suffering deepens faith and holiness, enlarge the saints to enjoy God’s glory here and in the age to come, makes one bold, to fill up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, and magnify the supremacy and power of Christ in that nothing else matters more than our King and his glory! (108-130)

Part 2: The Necessity and Nature of the Task

Chapter four seeks to answer the common questions of the day among evangelicals (perhaps non-Christians no longer ponder these questions), in terms of what is needed and required in terms of eternal salvation, “Is the Work of Christ Necessary?” and, “Is conscious faith in Christ necessary?” After expressing his answers he goes on to give a very good biblical exposition supporting his answers that include a biblical perspective of hell, Christ’s atonement for salvation, and the necessity of the gospel being peached. In short, in regards to missions, it’s imperative for the work to take place because people must come to a conscious saving faith in Christ. (169) This part of the book concludes with Piper’s teaching about the supremacy of God among “all the nations.” What are we to think of those who haven’t heard the gospel of Christ? The answer, again, comes with a great amount of biblical exposition. In quick conclusion, God has been and is involved in “preparing for himself a people—from all peoples—who will be able to worship him with free and white-hot admiration.” (224)

Part 3: The Practical Outworking of Compassion and Worship

Piper’s assumes that a person focused on the glory of God will entertain the question, “How does the motive of compassion for people relate to this primary motive of passion for the glory of God?” (233) This question is especially worthwhile in an age when much of the church is involved in humanitarian work without the proclamation of the gospel. He also addresses the question in what I believe to be an age of passionate discussion regarding “forms” or worship, “what is the essence of worship?” (247) I don’t have enough space to offer a quick view of his answers, but just like the rest of this book, they are based upon scripture and worth pondering it’s implications in the life of the believer.

Conclusion

As a church leader who is charged with leading a congregation and expected to employ congregants in the work of the kingdom I must find a way to help my congregants understand that missions is a means to an end; an end that results in “God being most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” (255) In other words, God employs the church in the work proclaiming the Gospel everywhere on the earth to stir worship in hearts of all those whom He calls to faith. After all, worship, as Piper insists, “has always been and will always be the ultimate purpose of God in the universe.” (15) I expect that this book will one to which I return often and will ponder for the rest of my life.